CN201432474Y

CN201432474Y - Fluid box and inkjet printer

Info

Publication number: CN201432474Y
Application number: CN2008201389479U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 杰滋·扎巴; 伊恩·弗斯特
Original assignee: Videojet Technologies Ltd
Current assignee: Videojet Technologies Ltd; Videojet Technologies Inc
Priority date: 2007-10-12
Filing date: 2008-10-13
Publication date: 2010-03-31
Anticipated expiration: 2018-10-13
Also published as: DE202008018274U1; US8366252B2; US20100208013A1; US8632172B2; US20130120510A1; KR20100088608A; EP2195169B1; KR101381269B1; CN101896354A; CN103057274A; CN101896354B; EP2535192A3; HUE035500T2; CN103057274B; EP2535192A2; EP2535192B1; GB0720139D0; BRPI0818166A2; PL2535192T3; EP2195169A1

Abstract

The utility model provides a fluid box and an inkjet printer. An ink supply system applied to the inkjet printer (particularly to a continuous inkjet printer) is provided with a butting table, whereinat the butting table, one or more disposable boxes of an ink or a solvent are connected with the printer in a detachable mode. The boxes comprise contractible internal containers and general rigid shells, wherein the internal containers are provided with inlets and outlets capable of being connected to the ink supply system. The front walls of the shells are provided with openings and windows; the openings provide passages for the inlets; the windows provide passages for electric contacts correlative with a storing device; and the storing device saves information about the contents of the boxes. The contacts are in a fixed relation with the outlets, and thus, when the boxes are butted, the fluid communication between the contacts and the ink supply system is established, and the electriccontacts are electrically connected to each contact correlative with the printer.

Description

Fluid box and ink-jet printer

Technical field

The present invention relates to inkjet printing, more specifically, relate to the fluid supply box of the ink-jet printer that is used for such as continous inkjet printers.

Background technology

In ink-jet print system, form printing by each ink droplet that produces at the nozzle place and push towards substrate.System with two principles: when needed as required ink droplet generation place that is used to print based on the drippage that requires; And wherein producing ink droplet continuously and only selecteed ink droplets are guided substrate into, other ink droplets are recirculated to the continous inkjet of ink supply body and print.

Continous inkjet printers is fed to the printhead droplet generator with pressurized ink, at printhead ink droplet generator place, will be broken up from the continuous ink stream that nozzle distributes by the piezoelectric element that for example vibrates and be each regular drop.Drop is directed through charging electrode, and at the charging electrode place, these drops are had to select and be scheduled to independently electric weight, afterwards through being arranged at the transverse electric field between a pair of deflecting plates.Each charged drop is deflected amount based on its electric weight by electric field, impinge upon in the substrate afterwards, and charged drop does not advance under the situation of not deflection, and is collected in the groove, and charged drop is not recycled to the ink supply body to reuse from this groove.Charged drop walk around this groove and again by the electric weight on the drop and substrate with respect to determined position, the position of printhead impact basement.Usually, substrate is moved with respect to printhead along a direction, and drop is along the direction deflection vertical with its cardinal principle, but, deflecting plates can be directed obliquely with respect to this vertical one-tenth, with the speed of compensation substrate (substrate means with respect to the mobile of printhead between the drop that is arrived, otherwise the direction that the drop line can not be just in time moves with substrate is vertically extended).

In continous inkjet is printed, come printable character according to the matrix that comprises regular array that may the drop position.Each matrix comprises a plurality of row (row), and its each row are all defined by the line that comprises a plurality of possibility drop positions (for example seven), and these may be determined by the electric weight that is applied to drop drop positions.So each available drop is recharged according to its intention position in this row.If certain droplet is not used, then this drop is not recharged, and is trapped in the groove to be used for recirculation.For the whole rows in the matrix repeat this cycle, begin once more for the character late matrix then.

By the ink feeding system in the closed chamber that is contained in casing usually ink is transported to printhead under pressure, casing comprises independent chamber and the user interface panel that is used for control circuit.This system comprises main pump, and main pump is drawn ink from liquid storage tank or liquid reserve tank via filter, and it is transported to printhead under pressure.Along with ink is consumed, liquid storage tank is filled once more from removable print cartridge as required, and print cartridge is detachably connected to liquid storage tank by supply line.Ink is fed to printhead from liquid storage tank via the flexible delivery pipeline.The untapped ink droplet of being caught by groove is recirculated to liquid storage tank by pump via reflux line.Usually control by magnetic valve and other likes flowing of each pipeline ink inside.

When ink when the systemic circulation because the result of solvent evaporation, especially and the recirculation ink that is exposed to air in the path between nozzle and groove relatively, ink is tending towards retrogradation.For this is compensated, add " supply " solvent to ink from removable print cartridge as required, ink viscosity is maintained in the expectation restriction.This solvent liquid can be used for the parts at cleaning cycle flushing printhead, for example nozzle and groove.

The box filled liquid storage tank that the fluid of scheduled volume is arranged and be detachably connected to ink feeding system usually by flexible supply hose or pipeline of ink and solvent makes and can off and on liquid storage tank annotate as required by drawing ink and/or solvent from box.Correctly cooperate with supply hose in order to ensure box, they are connected to ink feeding system via the dock that comprises the box retainer usually.When box is correctly docked, guaranteed to be communicated with the fluid of the export department of box.

From the angle outbalance of manufacturer is that ink-jet printer only consumes the ink (or solvent) of right type and quality.If use the box that comprises wrong inks, then print quality may be traded off, and under extreme case, can cause print fault.Therefore, what become convention is, the label (for example, bar code) of the information that the liquid that box is provided with hold in carrying and the box is relevant.Before box is mounted, label the is inswept reader relevant with the control system of printer, and and if only if the control system of printer has read label merchant's information and verified when ink is applicable to the operation of printer, just allow to draw ink or solvent from box.

Summary of the invention

In many purposes, an object of the present invention is to provide fluid box improvement or that optionally be used for ink-jet printer and/or ink-jet printer optional or that improve.

According to an aspect of the present invention, provide a kind of fluid box, it is used for ink-jet printer, and described box comprises: be used to hold the contractile internal container of printing-fluid, described container has and is used for the export department that is connected with described printer; Shell, described container are contained in the described shell; Electrical storage device, it is constructed to store the data relevant with the content of described box; At least one electric contact, it is relevant with described electrical storage device; Described shell has antetheca, and described antetheca has first hole that is used for described export department, and described at least one electric contact is arranged in described antetheca.

The expression that " is arranged in described antetheca " be intended to comprise following at least may situation: under its situation that can be connected with another contact on being arranged on printer, described at least one electric contact is installed in the described antetheca, be installed on the described antetheca or be installed in described antetheca rear.For example, described antetheca has second hole, and described second hole provides the passage to described at least one electric contact, and described at least one electric contact and described second hole are adjacent to be arranged in the described shell.

Other fluids that described fluid box can be used for ink or solvent or use in print processing.

Can be configured to when box is installed in the box containing section of printer, the ink feeding system of described export department and printer is in the fluid connected state, and described at least one electric contact is connected at least one corresponding contact at printer place.

Described first hole can be arranged in the below, described second hole in the described antetheca.

Described at least one electric contact can be arranged on the substrate.Described electrical storage device can be supported on the described substrate, and described substrate can be arranged between described shell and the described internal container.

Described substrate can be fixed with respect to described export department, this fixing can realization by the retainer that is defined in the described housing, and this retainer can take to comprise the form of any appropriate of draw-in groove.Described retainer can comprise at least one retaining element with notch, and described notch is used to support the edge of described substrate.

Described substrate can be installed on the described container directly or indirectly.In fact, it can have the hole, is used to arrange the described export department of described container, and in the case, substrate can be supported by the outer surface of export department.For example, described export department can have the neck that supports described substrate.The edge that defines described hole of described substrate can cooperate with described export department.

Described substrate can be rigidity or flexibility.It can be the form of film, label etc. or card.

Described container can have the rigid support surface adjacent with described substrate, and described rigid support surface can be provided by the wall that the container remainder has bigger thickness.

Can be provided for the locking element that cooperates with described substrate locking, and described locking element can be arranged on the described shell.Described locking element can be taked the form of any appropriate, comprises the tongue piece that for example has the tip engages structure portion such as terminal, ridge or antelabium, and described tip engages structure portion cooperates with notch or recess in the described substrate.

Described shell can comprise at least two separable parts, when these parts are separated internal container is exposed.Described shell can have at least one setting element, and described at least one setting element is used for cooperating with at least one complementary elements on the box retainer.Described at least one setting element can be taked the form of any appropriate, but can comprise and be used for the key that cooperates with the groove of box retainer, or vice versa.Described at least one setting element can be to be used for the recess that cooperates with projection on the described box retainer.

Described shell can have rigid sidewalls and at least one slit, and the bight of described at least one slit and described sidewall closely is provided with, and makes described bight to curve inwardly towards described container.Can on the surface at least one bight in the described bight, define at least one setting element, and described at least one setting element is used for cooperating with complementary elements on the box retainer.Described at least one setting element can be ridge or recess etc.

According to a second aspect of the invention, a kind of ink-jet printer can be provided, it comprises: be used to produce the printhead of ink droplet to print in substrate, be used for the ink feeding system of ink feed to described printhead, according to previous described arbitrary fluid box, and the fluid box containing section that is configured to take in described fluid box and provides described box export department to be communicated with fluid between the described ink feeding system, described fluid box containing section has at least one electric contact, and described at least one electric contact that described at least one electric contact is arranged to when taking in described box and on the described box electrically contacts.

Described printer can be a continuous type, wherein is provided with grabber and ink return flow path, and described grabber is used to take in the not use ink droplet that is produced at described printhead place, and described ink return flow path is used to make ink to be back to described ink feeding system.

According to a third aspect of the invention we, provide a kind of fluid box, it is used for ink-jet printer, and described box comprises: be used to hold the contractile internal container of printing-fluid, described container has and is used for the export department that is connected with described printer; Shell, described container are contained in the described shell; Electrical storage device, it is constructed to store the data relevant with the content of described box; At least one electric contact, it is relevant with described electrical storage device and be arranged on the substrate; Described substrate is fixed with respect to described export department.

This fixed relationship has guaranteed that export department and described at least one electric contact are in the tram that is communicated with element on the printer, export department is intended to provide with the fluid of the ink feeding system of printer and is communicated with, and at least one use in electric contact is in being electrically connected with corresponding contact on printer one side.

Substrate is fixed, and makes it not move during internal container shrinks, and guarantees thus to keep between the operating period electrically contacting.

Described substrate can be fixed to described export department, and particularly, described substrate can be installed in the described export department.For example, described substrate can have the hole of taking in described export department, defines the edge in described hole and the surface engagement of described export department thus.

Described electrical storage device can be installed on the described substrate, or can arrange individually but be connected to described at least one electric contact.

Described export department can comprise the rigid conduit that extends from described wall of a container, and described substrate can be supported on the described pipeline, and can be supported on the neck of described pipeline.Can seal described export department by the containment member that can be penetrated (for example diaphragm seal that can penetrate by needle connector).

Description of drawings

Referring now to accompanying drawing, only specific embodiments of the invention are described as example, in the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 be continous inkjet printers of the present invention embodiment schematically show figure;

Fig. 2 is the decomposition view according to the embodiment of print cartridge of the present invention;

Fig. 3 A to 3C is side view, bottom view and the front view of the box of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 A and 4B are the front view and the sectional views of a part of shell of the box of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 A is the vertical view of box retainer;

Fig. 5 B is the front view of the box retainer of Fig. 5 A;

Fig. 5 C is the sectional view of the box retainer got of the line A-A along Fig. 5 B;

Fig. 5 D is the cutaway view from the top of the box retainer of Fig. 5 A; And

Fig. 6 is the stereogram that is engaged in the box of a pair of Fig. 2 to 4 in the box retainer of Fig. 5.

The specific embodiment

With reference now to ink-jet printer shown in Figure 1,, ink is transported to printhead 11 and backflow from ink feeding system 10 via flexible conduit under pressure, and flexible conduit and other fluid circuits and electric wire harness are this area so-called " umbilical cord " pipeline 12 as accompanying drawing.Ink feeding system 10 is arranged in the casing 13 that is installed on desktop usually, and printhead 11 is arranged in the casing outside.In operation, draw inks, as required, add ink injection and supplementing solvent to case 15 from removable print cartridge and

solvent box

17,18 by the storage ink reservoir 14 of systems pumps 16 from blender case 15.Ink is transferred to blender case 15 from print cartridge 17 as required under pressure, and draws solvent by suction pressure from solvent box 18 as will be described.

Should be appreciated that from following explanation ink feeding system 10 and printhead 11 comprise the flow control valve of many cardinal principle same types: dual coil electromagnetic operation bilateral dual-port flow control valve.Manage the operation of each valve by the control system (not shown), control system is the operation of control pump also.

The ink of drawing from case 15 is at first filtered by the coarse filter of systems pumps 16 upstreams, and then the meticulous relatively main ink filter device 21 by systems pumps 16 downstreams filters, and this ink is transported to the ink feed pipeline 22 that can arrive printhead 11 then.Conventional construction and the fluid damper glass tube 23 that is arranged in main filter 21 upstreams have been removed the pressure fluctuation that the operation by systems pumps 16 causes.

At printhead, be fed to droplet generator 24 via first-class brake control valve 25 from the ink of ink feed pipeline 22.Droplet generator 24 comprises nozzle 26 and piezoelectric oscillator 27, and pressurized ink is from nozzle 26 dischargings, and piezoelectric oscillator 27 generation pressure disturbance in ink flows with preset frequency and amplitude, is regular size and drop 28 at interval so that ink stream is broken up.Break-up point will be scheduled to electric weight at charging electrode 29 places and impose on each drop 28 in the downstream of nozzle 26 and consistent in charging electrode 29.This electric weight determines that drop 28 in its degree of deflection during through a pair of deflecting plates 30, keeps steady electric field substantially between this is to deflecting plates 30.Not charged drop cardinal principle is arrival slot 31 without deflection, and these drops are recycled to ink feeding system 10 from groove 31 via reflux pipeline 32.Charged drop is towards substrate 33 projections that move through printhead 11.The position that each drop 28 clashes in substrate 33 is determined by the amount of deflection of drop and the translational speed of substrate.For example, if substrate is moved along horizontal direction, then the amount of deflection of drop is determined its vertical position in the row of character matrix.

In order to ensure the valid function of droplet generator 24, make the temperature of the ink that enters printhead 11 before proceeding to first control valve 25, remain on aspiration level by heater 34.Under idle situation about starting, expectation is not spilling ink by nozzle 26 under the situation of groove 31 or substrate 33 projections at printer.Ink enters the path (no matter being to spill the untapped ink of circulation that flows or caught by groove 31) of reflux pipeline 32 by 35 controls of second flow control valve.By the ejection pump device 36 and the 3rd flow control valve 37 that are arranged in the ink feeding system 10 blender case 15 is got back in the ink absorption that refluxes.

When ink contacted with air with printhead 11 places by system flow and in case 15, the part of its solvent composition was tending towards evaporation.Therefore ink feeding system 10 is designed to supply as required supplementing solvent, maintains in the preset range that is suitable for using with viscosity with ink.This solvent that provides from box 18 also is used for washing printhead 11 on suitable opportunity, keeps not being subjected to block.Draw rinse solvents by flushing pump valve 40 by ink feeding system 10, under with the control of the 4th flow control valve 42 described below, flow to drive and wash pump valve 40 by the ink in the lateral 41.By from ink feeding system 10 via umbilical cord pipeline 12 extend to the first-class brake control valve 25 the printhead 11 clean-up line 44 (being illustrated by the broken lines among Fig. 1), get rinse solvent via filter 43 pumps.At process nozzle 26 and after entering groove 31, solvent is drawn in the reflux pipeline 32 via second flow control valve 35, and is drawn to the 3rd flow control valve 37, reflux solvent in the suction pressure current downflow from ejection pump device 36.

Ejection pump device 36 comprises the venturi pump 50,51 of pair of parallel, and venturi pump 50,51 export departments from main filter 21 are subjected to the supply from the pressurized ink of take-off line 53.These pumps are known configuration, and utilize bernoulli principle, and the fluid of the ducted restriction of the process that flows thus rises to high-speed jet and produces the area of low pressure in this restriction place.If in this restriction place side ports is set, then this low pressure can be used for drawing and introduce second fluid at the pipeline of side ports connection therewith.In the case, flow through a pair of pipeline 54,55 and be back to blender case 15 of pressurized ink, each pipeline 54,55 has side ports 56,57 in Wen's restriction place.The raising of ink flow rate has produced suction pressure at side ports 56,57 places, and this is used for drawing ink and/or the solvent that refluxes by

pipeline

58,59 when the 3rd flow control valve 37 is opened.Flow control valve 37 is operated, and makes to control flowing of the ink/solvent that refluxes to each venturi pump 50,51 independently.More specifically, control system judges that according to the ink temperature of being determined by the temperature sensor in the take-off line 53 60 allowing through one in the venturi pump 50,51 still is both flowing.If ink has relatively low temperature, then it will have higher relatively speed, therefore need bigger pump to inhale power and come to suck back ink from groove 31, in the case, should make pump 50,51 boths operations.Should avoid the operation of two pumps definitely under latter instance, because will exist air to enter the risk of supply system, this will cause the excessive vaporization of solvent, and the consumption of supplementing solvent is increased.

Take-off line 53 is connected to the pipeline 41 that ink is transported to flushing pump valve 40 via the 4th flow control valve 42.When control valve 42 is suitably operated when can wash printhead 11, allow to make 40 pressurizations of flushing pump valve by ink from pipeline 41.Valve 40 is rolling diaphragm formulas, and wherein flexible " carnival hat formula " barrier film 61 is divided into first and second variable volume chambers 63,64 with valve chest 62.Ink is fed to first Room 63 under pressure, supplementing solvent is transported to second Room 64 by solvent supply pipeline 65 via pressure converter 66 and check valve 67 from box 18.The ink that enters first Room 63 is compared the position that volume that higher pressure that solvent has is used to make barrier film 61 deflect into first Room 63 from its neutral position as shown in Figure 1 increases under the situation of the volume that has taken second Room 64, and forces solvent to flow out second Room 64 and via clean-up line 44 toward print head 11.Should be appreciated that other flushing pumps can be used to realize same operation.

In use, the atmosphere of blender case 15 tops promptly becomes saturated with respect to solvent, and it is drawn into condensing unit 70, and at condensing unit 70 places, this atmosphere is condensed and is got back to solvent refluxing pipeline 71 via the 5th control valve 72 of ink feeding system by absorption.

Two

boxes

17,18 shown in Fig. 2 to 4 are structurally identical, and comprise the outer rigid housing 75 of parallelepiped shape substantially, and it has the contractile internal container 76 that is used to store ink or solvent.Shell 75 has interconnected top 75a and bottom 75b, and top 75a and bottom 75b are separable so that container 76 exposures.

In use,

box

17,18 is docked in the box retainer 77 (seeing Fig. 5 and 6) that forms a printer part, makes them be connected to ink feeding system ink feeding system 10.Along with drawing ink or solvent by ink feeding system 10 from

box

17,18, container 76 shrinks in the shell 75 of the shape that remains unchanged.

Internal container 76 is made by the thin-walled plastic material of for example HDPE and so on, and has analogous shape with the inboard of shell 75, and it comprises a pair of relative sidewall 78, roof 79, diapire 80 and antetheca 81 and rear wall 82.Export department 83 extends from the projection circular shape zone 84 of antetheca 81, and is sealed by partition seal 85.This seal 85 is traditional types, and for example comprise that the cylindrical butyl rubber potted component with Aluminum Alloy Cover 86, Aluminum Alloy Cover 86 have central opening 87 so that the end of seal is exposed to be used for penetrated by the needle connector on the end of the supply hose of ink feeding system 10.Box retainer 77 adjacent layouts with needle connector, make when

box

17,18 is docked in the retainer, seal is at first aimed at needle connector, and box is pushed to cooperate then, make syringe needle penetrate seal and between the remainder of box and ink feeding system the generation fluid be communicated with.Wall of a container thin (for example, 0.35 to 1.00mm) and tool flexibility are to allow along with its fluid contents is relatively easily inwardly shunk by absorption by export department.But, self have bigger thickness so that rigidity to a certain degree to be provided around the projection circular shape zone 84 and the export department of export department 83 of oral area 83.

At least print cartridge 17 is provided with the data storage card 88 of the content that can discern box.Export department of export department 83 has the neck 89 that diameter reduces, and data storage card 88 is positioned on the neck 89.Card 88 is substantially square and has the printed circuit board in hole 90, and card 88 is positioned on the neck 89 by this hole APS axle 90.The shape in hole is constructed to allow easily to block 88 and is connected to container 76, particularly, the hole has main body circular portion 90a (thereby its external diameter greater than export department 83 allows card 88 to place on the end of export department) and narrow notch 90b (its edge from main part 90a radially extends).Be positioned in the export department 83 in case block 88, then it laterally moves along it becomes sliding fit (snug fit) so that notch 90b slides on neck 89.In this position, card 88 is supported on the projection circular shape zone 84 of the relatively flat that lays out oral area 83 and rigidity.Card 88 be provided with memory chip 91 and be used for be arranged on printer on the surface installation electric contact 92 that is connected of corresponding contact.As will be described below, when

box

17,18 was assembled, card 88 was supported between shell 75 and the container 76.

The bottom 75b of box shell 75 has opposing sidewalls 95, antetheca 96 and rear wall 97 and lower wall 98, has defined several positions or the guide features portion of the reliable fit of help and retainer 77 on lower wall 98.Provide means with the principle that cooperates of retainer 77 by key 99, key 99 is designed to be arranged in the corresponding keyway of retainer, thus

guide box

17,18 moving with respect to retainer 77.Key 99 has inverted T-shaped, and it comprises narrow post 100 and wideer slightly base portion web 101, and the gap between the surface of web 101 and lower wall 98 provides the elongated slot 102 on post 100 every sides to be connected with the part of retainer 77 being used for.And then key 99 rears are a pair of enlarging slits of extending along the part of lower wall and antetheca.These slits 104 allow that other parts transverselies with respect to shell 75 curve inwardly in the bight 105 of the sidewall of the situation lower casing that applies convenient pressure.At last, each bight 105 is provided with little location indentations 106.

The top 75a of box shell 75 comprises opposing sidewalls 107, antetheca 108 and rear wall 109 and upper wall 101 similarly.When

housing department

75a and 75b linked together, each sidewall 95,107 was adjacent substantially, and each antetheca 96,108 and rear wall 97,109 also are like this.Antetheca 108 has the cardinal principle square hole 111 that is arranged in following dag 112 tops with U-shaped opening 113.With housing department 75a, when 75b is arranged together, sheet 112 around the export department 83 of internal container 76 through and be incorporated in the corresponding slit 114 in the antetheca 96 at outer casing underpart 75b, export department 83 extends through U-shaped opening 113.

As

box housing department

75a, 75b during around internal container 76 assembling, data storage card 88 is supported in the draw-in groove 115 (Fig. 4 A and 4B) on the inner surface adjacent with sheet 112 that is defined in antetheca 108.Draw-in groove 115 is provided by a pair of isolated elongated L shaped structure portion 116, and each structure portion 116 has all defined notch 117 with the inner surface of antetheca 108.Under card 88 correctly is positioned at situation in the export department 83 of container 76, when two

housing department

75a, 75b lump together when becoming coupling and cooperating, the edge of card will be incorporated in the notch 117.Therefore draw-in groove 115 assists in ensuring that card data storage card 88 quilts are correctly located with respect to shell 75, and contact 92 is arranged in the tram to be connected with contact on the printer thus.Except draw-in groove 115, card 88 also by with card in the elasticity locking tongue piece 118 that cooperates of notch 119 support to place.Tongue piece 118 is from short sloping portion 120 suspensions of antetheca 108, and ends at and be used for the projection locking end 121 that cooperates with the notch 119 of card 88.In the time of in card 88 slides draw-in groove 115, tongue piece 118 is turned over and is pressed its rear surface, thereby allows tongue piece 118 to cooperate to front curve and with card 88 lockings up to terminal 121 with notch 119 alignings.

In order to allow easily to control

box

17,18 when docking with

box

17,18 or it is dismantled, each all is provided with elongated and more shallow arc-shaped depression portion 122 sidewall, can grasp by these recesses 122.

Referring now to Fig. 5 A to 5D box retainer 77 is described.It has L shaped outward appearance substantially, has the vertical antetheca 125 and the diapire 126 that connect by the L shaped sidewall 127 of spaced apart parallel, thereby defined the internal volume of

accommodation box

17,18 removably between them.By the midfeather 128 that is in substantially parallel relationship to sidewall 127 extensions this volume is divided into two retainer parts side by side, makes each retainer partly be designed to take in a box.Diapire 126 has a pair of keyway 129 that extends to halfway from back edge 130 forward walls 125 substantially, each each keyway of retainer part.In use, these grooves 129 are designed to take in the key 99 on the lower wall lower wall 98 that is defined in each box shell 75.The inner surface of each sidewall 127 has little location ridge 131, and ridge 131 is adjacent with the bight that sidewall 127 and diapire 126 constitute, and this ridge is used for cooperating with the respective recess 106 in the bight 105 of

box

17,18.

Box retainer 77 is positioned in the printer, makes antetheca 125 that the interface of

box

17,18 and ink feeding system 10 is provided.Particularly, antetheca 125 has a pair of circular port 132 that cooperates with needle connector in the ink feeding system 10, and directly over it, have be arranged on printer in and be connected to a pair of square window 133 that the electric contact of control system is aimed at.

By following description and with reference to figure 6, the process that box 17,18 docks with retainer 77 will be understood.Purpose is to guarantee that

box

17,18 is docked reliably, make needle connector penetrate the seal in the export department 83 of

box

17,18, and each electric contact 92 on the data storage card 88 relevant with

box

17,18 cooperate to allow conducting electrical signals between the two with those contacts on printer one side.

Grasp the box 17,18 of each assembling by arc-shaped depression portion 122, and key 99 is placed into makes the edge around groove 129 of diapire 126 of retainer be incorporated in the elongated slot 102 of key 99 in each keyway 129 in the retainer, the box 17,18 of each assembling is provided to corresponding retainer part.Then, make box 17,18, make the export department 83 of internal container 76 pass each circular port 132 in the antetheca 125 of retainer 77, and the square opening in the shell 111 is aimed at the window 133 of retainer 77 to front slide.When box 17,18 is realized with the cooperating fully of retainer 77, location ridge 131 in the retainer presses the sidewall 95 of the bottom 75b of shell, and force bight 105 to curve inwardly at first to cooperate (in the case, bight 105 bounces back into its position) with location indentations 106 up to ridge 131.In the more or less identical time, the surface engagement of slope 103 and the diapire 126 of retainer 77, and be used to make box 17,18 to be equivalent to retainer 77 slightly to raise makes the edge frictional fit of the keyway 129 in the diapire 126 of key 99 and retainer 77.The location that these two combination of actions provide the reliable of box 17,18 and determined makes that the user is experienced intuitively when box docks, and therefore knows that needle connector has penetrated the seal in the box, and each electric contact is in the butt state.But, should be appreciated that these location feature portions are optional for the normal running of box in printer, and they can omit.Perhaps, in these feature portions one can only be set.

When

box

17,18 is drawn inks or solvent, but internal container 76 its sidewall 78 inwardly towards between the sidewall midway and with situation that the parallel substantially mid-plane of sidewall moves under shrink in the mode of reasonable prediction.The ridge wall relative to thicker in projection circular shape zone 84 has guaranteed that remarkable trend of following situation does not take place for it: inwardly shrink thereby to applying power with respect to the export department 83 that shell 75 moves, this situation is not expected.Should be appreciated that container 76 has guaranteed that in this regional rigidity and the combination that is defined in the draw-in groove 115 on shell 75 inboards card 88 also remains on its position under the situation that container 76 shrinks, and makes electric contact always keep butt.

Should be appreciated that, can under the situation that does not depart from the scope of the present invention that defines in the claim, carry out many modifications above embodiment.Particularly, concrete shape, size and the layout of the location feature portion between retainer and the box can change.For example, can provide any suitable being connected between retainer and the box, this connection is guaranteed the box guiding for effectively to cooperate with retainer, so is guaranteed to be connected with the effective of printer.Positive key 99 on the box and the cloudy keyway 129 on the retainer 77 can exchange, and other suitable negative and positive connections arbitrarily can be set.In addition, pin-saving chip 91 can be the electrical storage device of any appropriate, can be supported on the substrate of any appropriate, and can be connected to suitable a plurality of or electric contact in mode easily under the situation that electric contact can be used for printer is connected when being docked in the shell when box.For example, can provide by the substrate of the antetheca 108 that is applied to shell 75 with being connected of electric contact 92.Contact 92 is connected to the data storage device 91 that can be supported on substrate or be arranged in other positions such as shell.Substrate can be taked the form of any appropriate such as rigidity card or flexible splicing film or label.

Described and shown in embodiment should be considered to indicative and nonrestrictive in characteristic aspect; should be appreciated that what illustrate and describe only is preferred embodiment, drop on the whole changes in the scope of the present invention that defines by claim and revise and all be considered to be protected.Should be appreciated that, though the use of the word in the specification such as " preferably ", " preferably ", " preferably " and " more preferably " represents that the feature that is described is comparatively ideal, in any case but this is also not necessarily essential, the embodiment that lacks such feature also can realize in the scope of the present invention that is defined by claims.With claim relatively, when the word such as " ", " ", " at least one " or " at least a portion " is used in before the feature portion, unless clearly demonstrate on the contrary in the claims, otherwise they are not intended claim only is restricted to a this feature portion.When using the language of " at least a portion " and " part ", unless clearly demonstrate on the contrary, these terms can comprise a part and/or whole object.

Claims

1. fluid box, it is used for ink-jet printer, and described box comprises:

Be used to hold the contractile internal container of printing-fluid, described container has and is used for the export department that is connected with described printer;

Shell, described container are contained in the described shell;

Electrical storage device, it is constructed to store the data relevant with the content of described box;

At least one electric contact, it is relevant with described electrical storage device;

Described shell has antetheca, and described antetheca has first hole that is used for described export department, and described at least one electric contact is arranged in described antetheca.

2. fluid box according to claim 1, wherein said antetheca has second hole, and described second hole provides the passage to described at least one electric contact.

3. fluid box according to claim 2, wherein said at least one electric contact and described second hole are adjacent to be arranged in the described shell.

4. according to claim 2 or 3 described fluid boxes, wherein said first hole is arranged in below, described second hole.

5. according to each described fluid box in the claim 1 to 4, wherein said at least one electric contact is arranged on the substrate.

6. fluid box according to claim 5, wherein said electrical storage device is supported on the described substrate.

7. according to claim 5 or 6 described fluid boxes, wherein said substrate arrangement is between described shell and described internal container.

8. according to each described fluid box in the claim 5 to 7, wherein said substrate is fixed with respect to described export department.

9. fluid box according to claim 8, wherein said substrate is fixed by the retainer that is defined in the described housing.

10. fluid box according to claim 9, wherein said retainer comprises the retaining element with notch, described notch is used to support the edge of described substrate.

11. according to each described fluid box in the claim 5 to 10, wherein said substrate is installed on the described container.

12. fluid box according to claim 11, wherein said substrate has the hole, is used to arrange the described export department of described container.

13. fluid box according to claim 12, wherein said export department has the neck that supports described substrate.

14. according to claim 12 or 13 described fluid boxes, the edge that defines described hole of wherein said substrate cooperates with described export department.

15. according to each described fluid box in the claim 5 to 14, wherein said substrate is a rigidity.

16. according to each described fluid box in the claim 5 to 15, wherein said substrate is a card.

17. according to each described fluid box in the claim 5 to 16, wherein said container has the rigid support surface adjacent with described substrate.

18. according to each described fluid box in the claim 5 to 17, wherein said shell has and is used for the locking element that cooperates with described substrate locking.

19. fluid box according to claim 18, wherein said locking element are to have the tongue piece that is used for the end that cooperates with the notch or the recess of described substrate.

20. according to each described fluid box in the claim 1 to 19, wherein said shell comprises at least two separable parts.

21. according to each described fluid box in the claim 1 to 20, wherein said shell has at least one setting element, described at least one setting element is used for cooperating with at least one complementary elements on the box retainer.

22. comprising, fluid box according to claim 21, wherein said at least one setting element be used for the key that cooperates with the groove of box retainer.

23. fluid box according to claim 21, wherein said at least one setting element are to be used for the recess that cooperates with projection on the described box retainer.

24. according to each described fluid box in the claim 1 to 22, wherein said shell has rigid sidewalls and at least one slit, the bight of described at least one slit and described sidewall closely is provided with, and makes described bight to curve inwardly towards described container.

25. fluid box according to claim 21 wherein defines at least one setting element on the surface at least one bight in described bight, and described at least one setting element is used for cooperating with complementary elements on the box retainer.

26. ink-jet printer, it comprises: be used to produce the printhead of ink droplet to print in substrate, be used for the ink feeding system of ink feed to described printhead, according to each described fluid box in the claim 1 to 25, and the fluid box containing section that is configured to take in described fluid box and provides described box export department to be communicated with fluid between the described ink feeding system, described fluid box containing section has at least one electric contact, and described at least one electric contact that described at least one electric contact is arranged to when taking in described box and on the described box electrically contacts.

27. ink-jet printer according to claim 26, wherein said printer is a continuous type, wherein be provided with grabber and ink return flow path, described grabber is used to take in the not use ink droplet that is produced at described printhead place, and described ink return flow path is used to make ink to be back to described ink feeding system.

28. a fluid box, it is used for ink-jet printer, and described box comprises:

Shell, described container are contained in the described shell;

At least one electric contact, it is relevant with described electrical storage device and be arranged on the substrate;

Described substrate is fixed with respect to described export department.

29. fluid box according to claim 28, wherein said substrate is fixed to described export department.

30. fluid box according to claim 29, wherein said substrate is installed in the described export department.

31. fluid box according to claim 30, wherein said substrate has the hole of taking in described export department.

32. fluid box according to claim 31, wherein said substrate has the edge that defines described hole, the surface engagement of described edge and described export department.

33. according to each described fluid box in the claim 28 to 32, wherein said electrical storage device is installed on the described substrate.

34. according to each described fluid box in the claim 28 to 33, described export department comprises the rigid conduit that extends from described wall of a container.

35. fluid box according to claim 34, wherein said pipeline has neck, and described substrate is supported on the described neck.

36., wherein seal described export department by the containment member that can be penetrated according to each described fluid box in the claim 28 to 35.

37. ink-jet printer, it comprises: be used to produce the printhead of ink droplet to print in substrate, be used for the ink feeding system of ink feed to described printhead, according to each described fluid box in the claim 28 to 36, and the fluid box containing section that is configured to take in described fluid box and provides described box export department to be communicated with fluid between the described ink feeding system, described fluid box containing section has at least one electric contact, and described at least one electric contact that described at least one electric contact is arranged to when taking in described box and on the described box electrically contacts.

38. according to the described ink-jet printer of claim 37, wherein said printer is a continuous type, wherein be provided with grabber and ink return flow path, described grabber is used to take in the not use ink droplet that is produced at described printhead place, and described ink return flow path is used to make ink to be back to described ink feeding system.